Will affect you....massively

Author's Rating:

Pros: Amazing visuals, superb voice acting, music and writing, fun shooting/driving, sequel is set up! 

Cons: Minor technical issues, some planets/ indoor environents are too similar, post game melancholy 

The Bottom Line: 

Minor flaws aside, this is easily one of the most exciting, enthralling and emotionally affecting RPG's ever. Sequel please!

Author's Review
Bioware's latest effort, Mass Effect puts you hundreds of years into the future where alien contact had been made and humans live alongside various different races in the Milky Way galaxy. You take on the role of Commander Shephard, an officer of the alliance navy and hardened warrior. After choosing your background and facial appearance in an impressively detailed character creation mode the story begins. And boy what a story.

Primarily, one could say Mass Effect is a 3rd person shooter as this takes on the bulk of the fighting, but there's much more to it than that. Mass Effect is an RPG through and through. Sure, the shooting is exciting and well balanced, the driving sections are good fun but what really keeps you coming back for more is the story. So masterfully told is this game's narrative that it puts the Halo writers to shame.

You are sent with your crew to track down a rogue 'Spectre' (an agent chosen by the Galactic council) called Saren and stop him from releasing a great and terrible evil that could destroy the galaxy. Sounds cliche I know, but where the drama of Mass Effect really suceeds is within its human (or indeed alien) conflict. Humanity is disregarded by many races and by some even hated. We don't even have a seat on the council! Your team consists of 6 different characters all of different races and backgrounds and throughout the game you can talk to them on and inbetween missions, strengthening your relationship with them or settling a dispute. You always have a choice of several responses during these conversations which are useful for gathering information and allowing you to have sway over how situations will turn out. Not only this but you game also forces you to make decisions during conflict, whether to spare a surredering enemy or execute them on the spot, whether to talk someone out of a rash decision or end the argument in bloodshed. Depending on your decision you'll also be awarded paragon or renegade points which beckons back to 'Knights of the Old Republic' and will not only change your allies opinions of you, but influence their actions too.

Often these decisions will be very difficult to make as you'll have to choose who lives and who dies and the game even has romantic subplots which differ depending on how you treat your love interest and whether you chose to be a man or woman. Every action you make has a consequence. The end result is having a bond with this world and these characters to such an extent that you wont want to leave after your quest is over.

But enough about the story, what about the gameplay? Well the game neatly balances running and gunning with an RPG leveling up system, allowing you to upgrade characters and equpiment as you see fit. You can use a varity of weapons and depending on who you have on your team of 3 you will have access to different techniques and abilities. Your Asari ally Liara for instance (an intelligent and scarily attractive blue alien who bears resemblance to Star War's Ayyla Secura) can only handle a pistol in battle but makes up for it by using mental abilities to weaken and damage enemies. Your Krogan ally Wrex meanwhile (who looks like a giant frog crossed with a shark and is a total badass) deals more in brute strength and can wield shotguns and assault rifles. In addition to this, you can issue commands in battle like telling your allies to take cover or concentrate on a specific enenmy or you can order them to use their abilities when you think they would be most appropriate. This adds more depth to the shooting element.

The driving sections are fun but oddly the Mako (the vehicle you'll be using) is ridiculously tough and for some reason can't be flipped over. It can survive huge falls and can drive up an almost 180 degree slope, making it easier to traverse mountainous planets but detracting from the overall realism. Still it doesn't spoil the fun of blasting enemies with your cannon and these parts never outstay their welcome.

Visually the game is stunning with characters so detailed they could step out of your TV screen and your are constantly treated to magnifcent futuristic environments full of colourful characters. The games cutscenes are among the most cinematic and well directed I've seen since Residet Evil 4. This is helped by great sound effects and a talented cast who provide some of the best voice acting I've ever heard in a game. No sentence is delivered without passion but equally there are no cringe-worthy, over-egged lines either. The dialogue is consistently convincing and well written and there are many heated verbal confrontations which are just as exciting and involving as the action set-pieces.  In addition, the game includes an atmospheric musical score which perfectly balances the futuristic/techno with more sweeping, orchestral pieces.

The main game can take as little as 12 hours to complete but completing the sidequests can take up to 30 or 40 hours. There are so many different planets to explore each with their different settlements, mosters and people in need of help. There could be more variety in the types of places you can visit - often you will find two nion identical underground bunkers or yet another research facility like the last one. You'll also run across many technical issues like pop-up, or get stuck in the graphics but fortunately these are as fleeting as they are rare and with the game's huge scope and the effort put into the game as a whole, it's forgivable. It just seems as if it could have done with a final lick of paint before release.

Mass Effect ain't perfect, but its shortcomings are toppled in virtually every other department. Ultimately there was one moment which describes the game perfectly. During the middle of a desperate battle, two of your allies need help. Without giving too much away, you only have time for one. That's when it hit me. I didn't want to choose, I felt genuine attachement to them both. Despite the game's superb visual flair, terrific gunplay, huge replay value, the most important thing is the experience. You really do have to experience Shephard's journey for yourself.

After the final epic confrontation, I sat blankly, watched the credits roll, went straight to the title screen and began another new game. I can't give a game more credit than that.